Honey from the Bee Artisan Jewelry inspired by Nature and Travel

A Past Not Forgotten in Gold Country

2012-02-06T04:00:00.000-08:00

All photos taken at Driven Cellars in Amador County, California on January 27th, 2012.

Honey in the Hive - Best Start to a Diet Ever

2012-02-04T15:25:00.000-08:00

It wasn't planned this way, but the timing sure worked out great for my husband and me. For four fabulous days prior to our strict diets starting this past week we had a couple of the best meals we've ever had in our lives!

One you can duplicate if you're ever in the same area we were. The other? Nope, don't think so unless we're related by no more than two degrees of separation.

Mushroom Cigars - appetizer

While visiting dear friends in Amador County they treated us to an amazing dinner at Taste. After a day of quiet yummy wine tasting (with no tasting fees!) and exploring a few of the many small towns in the area it was quite a surprise to find the #1 Zagat rated restaurant in the Sacramento area is located in Plymouth!

Duck Breast with pepita mole, tomatillo polenta, pumpkin cilantro salad

The artistry in presentation we admired only for a brief time, as the smells wafting up were just too tempting to admire for long. We each had something different from beef to guinea hen to my duck. Everyone was thinking how lucky they were with their choice. In fact my girlfriend was awfully quiet eating her dish and exclaimed afterwards that the bleu cheese souffle side dish was so good that she didn't want to hint at its wonderfulness for fear she'd have to give a bite to her husband!

Beer and Pretzels dessert

You know how sometimes restaurants that have great entrees often have desserts that are just okay? OMG! If we lived near this place we'd consider just going for the desserts! From the sounds we were all making we figured other tables would think we were reenacting a scene from Harry Met Sally.

Chocolate Gold

Above is the best fudgsicle you will ever have in your life with raspberry powder (!) and these chocolate crunchy things with gold on them are.. and oh, this is just too difficult to continue since I'm on a no carb low fat diet now!

And if that wasn't enough of a best dinner out before starting a diet, my brother and his wife cooked for us and friends a home-cooked meal that just really should have a different name. My brother loves to cook and try out new recipes like I do. You would never know it was his first time cooking Alton Brown's brined and barbecued salmon. He also cooked a Prime Rib that was perfectly done, but the salmon was so good that my beef loving husband went back for seconds on the salmon.

My sister-in-law is an excellent baker and made the Warm Apple Cobbler with a surprise savory ingredient of miso from the January 2011 edition of Bon Appetit for dessert. I can tell you that it's not only good for dessert, but it's excellent for breakfast, too.

I gained nearly 5 pounds in four days I think, but with all the great food, love, and laughter with friends and family, it was well worth it. We were ready to diet and I bet those memories will get us through our 3 month commitment.

Six Word Memoir

2012-01-23T16:25:00.000-08:00

Have you heard about the Six Word Memoirs? I hadn't either, but apparently Oprah is on to it and as kismet would have it our fearless Beyond Layers class leader, Kim Klassen, happened on to it via Oprah's magazine. How better to dig deep into ourselves than to tell our story in six words?

There are so many facets to each of us that I could sit and write six word memoirs for some time I think. However, I'm going to go with the first path my mind took me for this post.

photo by sister-in-law, Janine Bocciardi, one of my fave people to laugh with!

Just a few more words (lol!)

I remember giggling til I would pee in my pants.

I can still hear that giggle in my head.

It was a beautiful, wild and carefree sound: pure and free of shame or judgment.

That giggle stopped in my teenage years.

I've mourned its loss.

After acceptance and forgiveness, today I laugh with a fresh joy.

Hope is the Dream of a Waking Man

2012-01-20T17:56:00.000-08:00

Here's my first week's photo for the 52 week course I'm taking with Kim Klassen called Beyond Layers. It was a grey rainy day here and I think that must've influenced the shadows of the background. I couldn't decide which of these I liked better. The top one I reduced the soft light's opacity by quite a bit. What do you think?

My Pantone Spring 2012

2012-01-19T12:59:00.000-08:00

Love that the colors for Spring 2012 have been announced! Not because I'm tied to creating in them, but because it means Spring isn't too far away! So have heart those of you in snow country, it will melt and flowers will bloom.

The fashion and new home decor you'll be seeing in the stores will be drawing from these Pantone colors so if you want to freshen up a neutral outfit you can just add a new piece of jewelry or a pillow or two or a vase in the case of your home to brighten up your space.

Below you'll find pieces in my collection that draw from these new colors.

Tangerine Tango

Poppies and Lavender also brings in the colors of Bellflower and Margarita and there's a tassel on the pendant!

Solar Power

Desert Symbols with some Tangerine Tango!

Sutter Creek - Tiger Eye and peanut Stone

Bellflower

Abby Lonely - includes Cockatoo, too!

Cabaret

Rose Petals - lampwork, kashi pearls

Sodalite Blue

Amitie Pendant with vintage French crystal

Margarita

Wandering Mind - swirling color earrings

Sweet Lilac

Spring has Sprung necklace - Vicki Lee lampwork, Peruvian Opal, Amazonite, Crystals

Cockatoo

Just a Drop pendant - chalcedony and sweet pearls

Bubbly Sea - lampwork and anodized aluminum

Driftwood

Forest Nap necklace

Starfish

Acorn Earrings for evening - lampwork from Lisa Niven Kelly, sterling silver and chocolate pearls

Shopping for One's Sweetheart

2012-01-18T16:00:00.000-08:00

Jewelry is always the right gift for the women and girls in your life.

Spring Thaw (Ocean Jasper, Freshwater Pearls, Swarovski crystals)

My husband used to think it was the gift of last resort, when you couldn't think of anything else to get. I looked at him dumbfounded when he said that's what guys think! I set him straight and over time I think he's seen how jewelry has the special gift of holding memories. It might be a special birthday, the giver or some other special moment in one's life. Or it might be jewelry that was handed down to you from a special Aunt or through inheritance.

Valentine's Day is less than a month away and an opportunity for sweethearts to create a moment.

Seashell Heart necklace (Ocean Jasper and Freshwater Pearls)

Marie Antoinette (Antique Buttons, Vintage Shell and brass chain)

Balloon Skirt (Swarovski crystal, Furnace Glass)

Glowing Embers Earrings (Raku discs, bone and anodized aluminum)

Summer Roses (Coin Pearls, Mother of Pearl)

Happy Valentine's Day to all the Sweethearts and Best Friends out there!

Beyond Layers to Taking a Leap of Faith

2012-01-17T13:46:00.000-08:00

What had me committing to a class that's ongoing for 52 weeks?!

Was it Kim's intro to her new online course Beyond Layers? Was it my love of Kim Klassen's photos and blog? Was it her personal "story of me" that had me thinking of the path I walked to get where I am creatively? Was it me thinking I needed some structure among all the directions my mind wants to take me this year? Was it me hoping to continue to improve my photos for my blog and albums?

Well, yes! It was all those things! I read Kim Klassen's introduction and found myself intrigued and motivated. 52 weeks is a huge commitment. Especially for me who has gotten used to jumping here and there with my ideas and perhaps short changing my creativity and my self by not delving deeper and experimenting more.

I don't know if Kim will want to offer the class again, as it's a HUGE commitment for her as well. But in case she does I'm going to be careful what I share, because if you're wanting to take a similar course it's a journey one should take with a qualified instructor.. and that's not me!

However, I am guessing, guessing mind you, that you'll see my creative life continue and perhaps even take me in new directions. New directions? Maybe, but I don't know. We'll see.

My personal life this year is going to be very busy so the idea of having some structure and maybe even focusing more on photography when I can't be in my studio sounds doable.

It is very exciting to see SO many folks signed up for this class from around the world. I'm imagining we are each a bonfire and if you were to look from space you'd see red spots of human energy creating a beautiful pattern of potential!

Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

2012-01-09T10:55:00.000-08:00

My poor blog has been sorely neglected! I've got ideas in my head and my hands are busy, but unfortunately have not had time to get some posts ready. So... while you wait, here's some more fluffy eye candy and sweet memories for me.

When we first got Daisy (9 years old this March), Sam was our senior dog with no patience for an energetic puppy. Daisy took quite a liking to him, but the only time Sam seemed quite okay with her was when she was napping.

Daisy came to complete understanding of the patience needed when we brought Moose into her life and she's now the senior.

I was curious where the phrase "Let sleeping dogs lie" came from. After a brief google search: It's a very old proverb. Chaucer used it in the form "It is nought good a slepyng hound to wake" and it is recorded even earlier in the 14th century in French: "nesveillez pas lou chien qui dort". It means: "don't stir up trouble; if the situation is quiet at the moment, let it be".

Wordless Wednesday - I'll Wake Up for a Belly Rub

2012-01-04T04:00:00.000-08:00

Honey in my Hive Benefits ACF International

2012-01-02T04:00:00.000-08:00

I am so happy to announce that I was able to raise $142.40 for ACF International in my annual month of giving back during the holidays!

ACF International is a secular humanitarian organization dedicated to ending world hunger by not only getting food to the hungry, but also researching and providing long term solutions to hunger throughout the world. They have a 4 star rating by Charity Navigator for both transparency and financials. This is the highest rating given by the Charity Navigator organization.

From the bottom of my heart I thank those who supported this effort through my shop. These are some of the goodies that were a gift within a gift.

Forest Walk brooch

Candlelight

Remember This

"For today and its blessings, I owe the world an attitude of gratitude."

i heart macro - Pincushion Flower

2012-01-01T04:00:00.000-08:00

“Year’s end is neither an end nor a beginning, but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us.” ~Hal Borland

Happy New Year! May your wisdom continue to grow. May you enjoy good health. May you find joy in nature and that which is uniquely created by hand.

Wishing You a Doggone Happy Holiday!

2011-12-24T04:00:00.000-08:00

This year's holiday photo got off to a rocky start with the usual diva Daisy refusing to face the camera.

Perhaps she was not liking her costume this year?

Moose seemed to be rather proud of getting to play Santa.

So I thought I'd switch it up and Daisy definitely seemed pleased even with the extra facial hair,

...but Moose felt the elf hat was beneath him and wondered where my sanity had gone.

He seemed to be nearing the end of his patience. I think this must be the way elves feel.

I really had a hard time getting a good photo of the two of them together and I didn't have the heart to keep trying after this one.

So...

Honey in the Hive - Shopping with Mom

2011-12-22T04:00:00.000-08:00

Every year about a week before Christmas I travel about 3 and half hours to visit my Mom. It's one of our one-on-one times which we pack with our traditions. They're not anyone else's traditions I'm sure, but we look forward to them and they mark the season for us.

I get there in time for a late lunch at The Cheesecake Factory. We've always ordered the same extravagant Kobe beef burger for a number of years, but we branched out for a healthier turkey and avocado sandwich and shared sweet potato fries this year. We each got a slice of cheesecake to enjoy that evening for dinner while watching TV. (Notice I didn't say after dinner?!) I chose their new Red Velvet Cake with cheesecake layers. It lasted 3 days and was shared with my husband since it's the only cake he really likes. It was that rich and delicious!

Each year Mom has some things she'd like me to help her out with and invariably that includes shopping for something for her home. This year it was new knobs for her kitchen cabinets. She's been wanting knobs ever since she moved in to her home and we got her a step closer by selecting some from Restoration Hardware, but she'll be checking out Home Depot to see if they have something close since the price was so high. $8 per 1.25 inch knob!

However, we couldn't resist each getting a pair of Restoration Hardware's faux fur booties since they'd marked them down to an irresistible $14!

We also found some Bare Trap rain boots with faux fur on sale at Macys and got matching pairs of those, too! They are very cute and comfortable.

My Mom and I have what I believe is typical of many mother-daughter relationships. It's not always been easy, as we each had our own expectations of what we would like it to be. However, I am so grateful to have her in my life. She's always had great style and taste. To think at her age and mine we still find ourselves wanting the same food and being crazy about shoes, the same shoes (!) seems to show we have much more in common than I used to care to admit.

Western Monarchs Winter in Santa Cruz

2011-12-20T04:00:00.000-08:00

My sister-in-law and I have tried for a couple years to get to Natural Bridges State Park for a monarch butterfly tour. Monarchs that summer in the northern reaches of the western United States and southern British Columbia migrate to a eucalyptus grove along the coast of Santa Cruz, California each winter. They arrive in October and used to stay apparently til March, but now are mostly gone by the end of December.

We came armed with questions and were not disappointed in the display at the Visitor Center nor with our guide. She wasn't a scientist, but she was enthusiastic and had the answers to most of our questions. Monarchs are fascinating! They are the only butterfly that makes a twice yearly migration.

Monarchs migrate 50-75 or so miles each day and ours in the west have to go against the wind. Can you imagine those delicate wings of theirs trying to get through the wind?

If it's grey out the butterflies cluster and look like leaves in the trees. If the temperature gets above a certain temperature they'll fly around in the tops of the trees.

Their favorite food is milkweed and they will lay their eggs on the underside of the leaves as well as under pieces of wood near a food source.

Next year we're going to go early to mid-November to catch them at their peak. This year we didn't see many and the only one we were able to get a close-up shot of was in a fenced off area near the Visitor Center where they were growing milkweed and the Pincushion Flower that they enjoy.

i heart macro - Monarch Madness

2011-12-18T16:45:00.000-08:00

Feeding the Hungry through Jewelry

2011-12-15T10:34:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited that I've already raised more than $100 for ACF International! As I posted at the beginning of the month, I am donating 20% of my December jewelry sales to this wonderful organization. ACF International is an international humanitarian organization committed to ending world hunger.

Not only gifts have been purchased for loved ones, but also a holiday party necklace will celebrate this season of giving.

Thank you so much for your support of my shops as well as helping to end a problem that can be solved. No one should go hungry.

Visit HoneyFromTheBee's ArtFire Shop

i heart macro - Peeling Off the Old Skin

2011-12-11T04:00:00.000-08:00

Shedding my old skin

Pieces of the the old me cling stubbornly

Finding truth and beauty in what lies beneath

Pacific Northwest Guild - Studio Spotlight's on Me!

2011-12-06T08:31:00.001-08:00

I love regional guilds. There's the opportunity to network in person with other artists and support our local communities. It's finding out what works in your area in terms of shows and shops and maybe even finding a new place for beads or other creative supplies. Our guild on ArtFire has got some amazing artists who are supportive of each other and ready with questions and for answers if they've got them. Click on the icon and you'll be taken to our guild blog.

Katie of Graceful Arts is a fellow member and has just done a Studio Spotlight on me. She asked me some questions and took my responses and created a story that gives you some background on me so you know where I'm coming from. If you go to our blog you'll find more studio spotlights on other artists in the group. If you follow us you'll be sure to read more about our area, our inspirations, our work, and highlights through these Studio Spotlights.

I'm sitting here pleased as punch and thank Katie for doing such a great job on mine!

i heart macro - Hop to It if you're holiday shopping!

2011-12-04T04:00:00.000-08:00

If you're wanting gifts to arrive on time - hop like a bunny and get shopping!

Honey in the Hive: Money for ACF International

2011-12-01T04:00:00.000-08:00

Every year I select a charity to share in my good fortune during the month of December and when most people shop for gifts. This year I've selected ACF International. ACF International is an international humanitarian organization committed to ending world hunger.

For the month of December I will be donating 20% of the jewelry proceeds I sell in both my ArtFire and Etsy shops to ACF International.

HoneyFromTheBee

I decided to focus on hunger this year, because it reached out and grabbed me while I was editing photos for a previous blog post. There has never been a time in my life that I've not had enough to eat. My father remembered going hungry in his youth and so it was something he made sure we never faced. After I left home I always had money for food and shelter. I am very grateful that I have never wondered how I was going to pay for groceries or find something nutritious to eat. Seeing the photos and reading the stories of those who are experiencing hunger breaks my heart.

I selected ACF International, because it is secular and focused on long term solutions. In their words:

Our comprehensive solutions to global hunger are context-specific, needs-based, and customized through direct community participation. While the programs we run may vary from one country to the next, they all share this defining set of characteristics:

Comprehensive Approach: ACF integrates activities in emergency nutrition, longer-term food security, and water, sanitation & hygiene. To tackle the underlying causes of hunger, we address a range of social, organizational, technical, and resource concerns essential to a community’s well-being.
Lasting Solutions: ACF works to ensure that our programs can be sustained without us. By integrating our programs with local and national systems, we transform effective, short-term interventions into sustainable, long-term solutions.
Community-Centered: A community-centered approach is central to building local capacity to manage and maintain our programs. Through training, technical workshops, and mentoring, Action Against Hunger builds local capacity and cultivates community know-how.
Independent & Impartial: As a humanitarian agency we are apolitical. But when it comes to human suffering, we are not neutral: We strive to deliver effective humanitarian assistance wherever it’s most needed.
Full Accountability & Transparency: We directly oversee the implementation of our programs, requiring full access to the communities we assist. We are committed to a policy of transparency and disclosure by ensuring that key financial information is publicly available and that our programs undergo external impact evaluations.
Efficient & Cost-Effective: We consistently receive top marks from rating agencies like the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance, Charity Navigator (their highest 4-star rating), the American Institute for Philanthropy (an “A” rating), the Independent Charities of America (as a “Best in America” nonprofit), and Guidestar.

I think we all hope that some day no one will go hungry except by choice.

My Shops Go on Cyber Sale for One More Day!

2011-11-30T04:00:00.000-08:00

Are you tired yet of trying to find parking, elbowing shoppers, finding cheaply made knock-offs or standing in line?

Today only I am offering a 15% off coupon to be used in either my ArtFire shop or Etsy shop for my one of a kind and limited edition handmade artisan jewelry! Use coupon code: HLDY15 at check out.

Amitie pendant

Shipping Note: Shop for gifts and put the recipient's name in the Ship to and I'll gift wrap and ship directly to them.

Visit HoneyFromTheBee's ArtFire Shop

The Charm and Elegance of French Shops

2011-11-29T04:00:00.000-08:00

Here's a collection of vintage and handmade items from French Shops on Etsy. This is part of my travel journal where I feature shops of countries I've visited. I love every one of these items!

'Lovely Vintage and Handmade Items from France' by HoneyFromTheBee

Charmant millÃ©sime et artisanaux

French Cannister se... FrenchGypsy $72.00	Fabric Copper Under... BlueTerracotta $30.00	White Bronze Leaf P... sdegasperis $55.00	Black Friday Etsy F... FeeAParis $50.00
piquant blanc labokoff $30.00	Saucy Vintage FRENC... TheFrenchEmpor... $8.00	Diaper bag MIMOSA G... ikabags $79.81	SALE french antique... thehopetree $21.25
Vintage christmas p... DogDayAfternoo... $7.50	Bronze Bracelet - M... Minasmoke $23.00	A Rose in Red Chalk... byLjung $7.40	Freedom - Limited E... szukits $21.00
Argent Deux, French... dandeliondaydr... $98.00	Soft Pink Flower He... beliz82 $10.50	Unique Vintage Jour... Spellbinderie $20.00	Vintage White Monog... LittleSweetnes... $26.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

Cyber Monday! 10% off in these Shops!

2011-11-28T04:00:00.000-08:00

The Unique Women in Business group, which I am a member, has been one of the best parts of having an online shop. So much support and love... What better way to celebrate Cyber Monday then with a 10% off Sale in some of our shops?!

Check out my Etsy Shop and theirs through the Treasury below and use Coupon code: UWIBTEAM10 for any items in each of our shops!

i heart macro - Remember Me

2011-11-27T09:29:00.001-08:00

"Some painters transform the sun into a yellow spot; others transform a yellow spot into the sun." ~Pablo Picasso

Wordless Wednesday - Darn, Missed a Spot with My Coppertone

2011-11-23T12:46:00.001-08:00

Book Review - Metal Artist's Workbench

2011-11-22T10:39:00.001-08:00

It's been quite a few years now since I took one of Thomas Mann's first Sandwich Brooch workshops in Portland. We all got more than we'd signed up for with not only a very cool class project using our own images and found objects, but excellent business advice and someone who cared that we learn how to use tools the right way so we could continue to create for many years.

A pet peeve of mine are workshops that do not cover safety. It's not just the chemicals and powders we're dealing with, but how to hold and use our tools and sit properly to avoid injury.

I've always loved Thomas' work and hoped that he'd put out a book to share some of his extensive knowledge in the jewelry business. His latest book is hopefully the start of a series, as the sub title of Demystifying the Jeweler's Saw may hint.

Proper posture, holding of the saw and the description of how your whole body works with the saw are up first before any projects are covered. But one of my favorite things about the book are the gallery shots throughout of different metalsmiths' bench pins: the patina and gauges they gain and what their saw and bench pin mean to the artists featured. I'd buy the book just for them!

However, it's more than that for sure. He shows how your saw can be used on just about any material from metal to plastic to wood and has simple projects to delay any procrastination in trying them.

If you love to saw or want to love to saw I recommend this book for your library.

Got Food on the Brain? Of course you do - It's Almost Thanksgiving!

2011-11-18T10:16:00.001-08:00

Some of the most incredible Farmer's Markets I've seen are in Europe. It's not only the incredible quality and variety of the food, but it's the buildings they're held in, too. The one in Barcelona off of La Rambla has one of the most interesting entrances with fretwork and stained glass.

There are vendors selling meats, cheeses, olives, breads, pastries and lunch. Well, and so much more.

yes, those are beaks

and seafood I've never seen

I love seeing the colorful vegetables and fruits...

Dried Mushrooms

Fresh Mushrooms!

Dried Fruit and Nuts

Is it time for lunch yet?

and my personal downfall

My husband commented that it would be wonderful to live near a place like this and shop each day for our dinner. I agreed and it also struck me that seeing all this bounty of food how can we have so many millions of people hungry on this earth we share? Most of what we saw was fresh and local. We in the United States are coming to the realization that it is best to eat that way for many reasons. After doing some research I did find there are religious and secular organizations in the United States working with areas that are poverty stricken, teaching them not only about good nutrition, but how to grow their own food and increasing their self-sufficiency. It is an urban problem as well as a suburban problem when we went from an agricultural society to an industrial society. We became dependent on others to grow our food. That's fine for those of us that can afford it, but not for many who cannot.

It was a light bulb moment for me, which may be old news for some, that self-sufficiency in feeding ourselves is for our own safety, health and in many cases survival.

Civilization as it is known today could not have evolved, nor can it survive, without an adequate food supply. ~Norman Borlaug ( March 25, 1914 – September 12, 2009 was an American agronomist, humanitarian, and Nobel laureate who has been called "the father of the Green Revolution." Borlaug was one of only six people to have won the Nobel Peace Prize, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal. He was also a recipient of the Padma Vibhushan, India's second highest civilian honor.)

Wordless Wednesday - Don't Touch Me

2011-11-16T07:41:00.000-08:00

Another Blog Award!: Tell Me About Yourself

2011-11-12T04:00:00.000-08:00

Did someone just make this up? It wasn't me. Although when I received it from Gloria of New End Studio and saw the cute bee I thought for a very split second that she'd created it just for me. LOL!

Most folks read blog posts and don't ever leave a comment. I know I visit way more posts than I comment on and it doesn't mean the post wasn't interesting or beautiful. To receive any blog award is thrilling, because it means someone out there is not only reading your posts but feels they're worthy of sharing!

Thank you Gloria for the shout out! You'll want to check out her blog, too, because she's a dog lover like many of my followers and that means she's a smart, warm and really good person. Haven't you noticed that about "dog people?"

The rules say I have to tell 7 things about me. I managed to come up with a list with the last award and thought there was no way I could come up with 7 more. I'll give it a try though.

I played clarinet for 7 years while in school and worked my way to first chair. I've not played an instrument since.
I've lived in 3 east coast states and 2 west coast states, changing states 7 times.
When I was 7 we moved from the northeast to the south. Y'all know my family from NY teased my brothers and I over our acquired accent!
I have 7 cousins.
We had 7 dogs growing up on the farm in Virginia.
Currently I have 7 siblings including my in-laws. (Whew, I didn't think I was going to find another 7!)
and.... I graduated from high school in 1977!

There's no requirement for making it about 7's. I just thought it would be a fun challenge. It makes me wonder if I could do it with any number.

There is another requirement to share 15 blogs with my readers. That's easy.

Vickie Hallmark - glass, fiber, metal... her adorable birds
Jane LaFazio - daily inspiration - watercolor, embroidery, sewing
Design Seeds - for those who love color
Kerri - A Little Piece of Me - The name of her blog drew me in... her photos and quotes keep me coming back.
That is Priceless - any time you want to look at great art and also need a laugh
Design Swan - amazing art and design finds
Birgitte Hendricks - Sew Danish - I want her to blog more frequently! Her blog posts like her work are gorgeous simplicity.
Queen of Arts - love her use of color in her paintings; her poetry; her light
Michael DeMeng - Who doesn't love him? Love the darkness, the depth of his assemblog art work, his openness, his clases
Rebeca Trevino - assemblog art work; some takes my breath away
Robin Maria Pedrero - colorful paintings that are more than the sum of their parts
Green Muze - featuring green ideas and innovations, but I usually check out the art tab
Joe - Manhandled Threads - love how she shows where her inspiration comes from and her use of mixed media in her fabric and thread pieces of art
Objects and Elements - detailed pictures along with fun tutorials for using metal and found objects
Erin - Treasures Found - incredibly rich modern jewelry with layers of history

I hope you'll check some of these out. I think they'll enrich your coffee or chocolate break!

Sometimes Words are Difficult or Not Enough

2011-11-11T10:42:00.001-08:00

A heartfelt Thank You to our veterans who have served faithfully and selflessly in service to their country, which they and I love.

Creativi Italiani - an Etsy Treasury

2011-11-10T09:10:00.001-08:00

During a travelogue I like to highlight artists from the country I'm departing. This treasury highlights some talented creative Italians where art and fashion are often the same thing.

'Creativi italiani' by HoneyFromTheBee

Fashionable and Creative Italian Artists

MaisonMatthanG... $150.00	alchemia1 $200.00	Notforeat $20.00	mammacarla $19.90
dapelle $25.00	TheatronItalia... $2150.00	VenetianArtiqu... $75.00	aroundin80fram... $18.00
OutofAfricaDes... $65.00	PeccatoDiGola $8.00	DesignerStudio $238.00	contemori $21.00
AsItIsPhotogra... $25.00	ccarlevaro $26.00	TRAKATAN $460.00	daganigioielli $22.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

Wordless Wednesday - Just When I Couldn't Take Another Bite

2011-11-09T04:00:00.000-08:00

Weave or Knit a Scarf? - Results Similar but Not the Same

2011-11-08T04:00:00.000-08:00

I love fiber and found myself very intrigued by this experiment of mine. Read on if your pulse quickens at the photograph below.

Can you tell which scarf was knitted and which one was woven?

There's a clue on the left edge of the colorful one on the right. That's the tell-tale sign of the cast-off of a knitted item.

They're a lot alike though aren't they? However I found there are some differences: time required to create them, thickness of scarf and pattern of stitches on both sides of scarf.

I knit way more than I weave. In fact the blue green woven one on the left is the only thing I've done on my Ashford Knitter's Loom so far. However, it won't be my last. Don't let the name of the loom fool you - it's a true rigid heddle loom so you can go on and use it for all kinds of rigid heddle woven patterns. It's portable and designed to use with fancy yarns as well as finer ones.

When I saw Churchmouse's Linen Stitch scarf pattern that uses luscious and colorful Koigu yarn and how it so closely resembled a woven scarf I decided to order the kit. I thought it would be interesting to see how long it took since I'm a knitter and of course it would be even more portable than the loom. I've wanted to use the Koigu yarns for some time, but knowing any project I started with it would take awhile due to its fineness I've waited. Although I'm in love with the result and the yarn...

I should've timed it to know for sure, but I wove the scarf on the left in less than 8 hours. In fact it might've been less than 6 and it was my first one! The knitted one took FOREVER in comparison! So long that when I realized I'd made a pattern mistake about 7 rows in I decided to make it a design feature and do the same thing on the other edge rather than do the frog (rip-it!) stitch.

Although the fineness of the yarn in the knitted one is finer than the woven one, the knitted one is thicker - about 1.5 to 2 times thicker. The fringe shows you the difference in the yarn sizes.

The woven one looks the same on both sides which is nice in a scarf. The knitted one is different on both sides, but I think with my clever mistake both sides are interesting!

"We're all proud of making little mistakes. It gives us the feeling we don't make any big ones." ~Andy Rooney

i heart macro - Woven Sea

2011-11-07T14:07:00.000-08:00

Honey in the Hive: Where's the Closest Casino?!

2011-11-04T04:00:00.000-07:00

While I was road tripping down Highway 5 for over 16 hours listening to XM Coffee House tunes with my dog Daisy earlier this week, I apparently had some built up karma points working for me. It's not just that we arrived to our destination safely and on dry roads, for which I'm very grateful, but I won not once, not twice, but thrice! That's three giveaways!

The first I found out about via an email from my friend Kristi Bowman. She'd posted it on facebook as well as in a blog post and wondered why she hadn't heard from me. Maybe it was my strong desire for them and positive thinking or visualizing, because I loved them from the moment I saw them. Aren't these earrings to die for?! The lampwork is divine, but Kristi's charms add just the right finishing touch for that beach combing treasure. Thank you Kristi!

The second was through the same Early Bird Designer Sale. This time the prize was from designer Staci Louise. I was scrolling through the blogs I follow to see what I'd been missing and found her post announcing the winner of miscellaneous components of coolness and silk ribbon. I'm intrigued by the shapes and will be thinking of what to create with them.

My feeling of extreme good luck was tempered by the fact that two folks before me hadn't included their emails so missed out. A reminder to always read the requirements for giveaways so you don't miss your chance.

Lastly was another surprise, but especially pleasing one since it was a random drawing from the Art Bead Scene monthly challenge. It felt good since I actually had to create something to participate! I so enjoy the challenges and with October's I allowed myself to just have fun and not get so passionate and focused about the details of the inspiration piece but to just let it inspire me through the feeling I felt.

Forest Nap

The prize for the ABS challenge is from Marsha Neal Studio! I recently purchased some ceramic shards from her and had to box them up into storage for 6+ months until I can move into my new studio. I'm excited that I'll actually have some "outside the box" to play with before then!

I can't say that I've never won anything, as I am a lucky person I think. Karma? I don't know, but I do try to pay-it-forward (stay tuned!) and see the positive even if it takes me a little while to get there.

Wordless Wednesday - They Wouldn't! Would They?

2011-11-02T04:00:00.000-07:00

Using Vintage Materials is Recycling

2011-11-01T10:00:00.000-07:00

Antiquing and thrift store shopping is something I've always loved to do. My Mom loved going to the street fairs to find small items to decorate her house and I'd tag along. I wasn't making jewelry back then, but I couldn't help picking up the old kitchen utensils and odd shaped things and wonder what they were used for "back in the day." If I could afford something interesting I'd buy it in dreams of decorating my future home.

Harvest Time
Vintage grape motif buttons with peacock pearls and garnet crystals

Blackbeard's Treasure
Vintage French Enameled button with steel-cuts on Aventurine donut

I still love to go to antique shows, but now I tend to buy small items that I can use in my jewelry. My husband doesn't like "patina" or worm holes in furniture. The things you do or give up for love!

Finding other crafters and artists that use vintage materials and create homespun looks is lots of fun on ArtFire. There seem to be a fairly good number there. A blog I like to follow is one that features suppliers of craft items called Artists and Crafters Supply. They do features of artists, too, that are worth checking out.

One of the ArtFire shop owners that writes for the blog is Homespun Alley. The shop reminds me of an old-fashioned five and dime variety store. This gorgeous crocheted lace collar caught my eye:

Vintage crocheted lace collar

The craftsmanship and beauty of items of yore are worth preserving and using today even if in different ways. It's my favorite way of being green.

Etched Monogrammed Glasses in a Giveaway!

2011-11-01T08:26:00.000-07:00

Everyone loves a giveaway, right?! What about a set of mongrammed wine glasses? Well, one of my teammates, Memories for Life, is doing just that!

You can find out more about how to win them on our team blog post. I think they'd be a great wedding or anniversary gift!

Check out Edi's Etsy shop, too, as she's got lots of cool elegant items for gifts.
One of my favorites is her custom engraved pet portrait on wood.

Some Doors and Shutters of Le Castellet

2011-11-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

At first I thought the one above must be for trash or storage of some sort - surely not an entrance, but it's got a door knocker!

Every Day is Worth Dressing Up in Barcelona

2011-10-31T04:00:00.000-07:00

On any given day you'll find some of the most elaborate costumes being worn by street performers on Barcelona's famous La Rambla. Of all the places around the world I think our favorite street for walking and picking up on the flavor of a place is La Rambla. You can't beat it for people watching, strolling and eating.

Happy Halloween!

Just as I Pictured It: a Quaint, Sunny Seaside Town in the South of France

2011-10-30T04:00:00.000-07:00

Bandol must be crazy with Parisians and tourists in the summer, but in late October it's downright sleepy. Hungry after a morning of wine tasting and hiking the hillside town of Le Castellet, we parked the car and found the row of outdoor cafes facing the yacht harbor. We find half the fun of eating in France is perusing the menus before making one's selection.

As you can see above, we didn't have to worry about not getting in to our first pick.

foo foo drinks first!

Doesn't the food look great against the orange tablecloths?!

The only requirement for my husband was that the restaurant served Moules. He LOVES mussels. You know how you have an item that you tend to order at every restaurant - sort of like your test of a restaurant, but also because you can't resist? Well, that's his. I helped him with the frites.

Before heading back to our ship we strolled the boardwalk and stopped to watch some locals playing bocce.

Our ship, Oceania's Insignia on the left
Toulon harbor

Sleepy Hill Town in the South of France

2011-10-29T04:00:00.000-07:00

It was late October in the south of France and it turned out to be a really great time to visit. We found no crowds, but did find many shopkeepers and restaurants eager to sell us their wares and taste their food which is always fantastic in France.

After our wine tasting we drove up to the walled town of Le Castellet, dating from the 15th century, that we saw no matter where we were in the surrounding valley.

skateboard anyone?

Pate and Salt shop!

See the tiny plume of smoke from someone's chimney?

I didn't know where to stop in sharing the photos I took in Le Castellet. It seemed everywhere you looked there was beauty. Tomorrow I promise to share Bandol, the seaside village where we had lunch.

Tasting Bandol Wines in Provence

2011-10-28T04:00:00.000-07:00

The last stop before Barcelona on our anniversary cruise from Istanbul was the port of Toulon in the Provence-Alpes-Cote-d'Azur region of southern France. Our friends had done some research on the wines of Provence so we fortunately got to tag along for a decadent day of wine and food tasting with some sightseeing thrown in.

We visited a couple of wineries including one that made Bandol red wine. Bandol is one of the oldest vineyards in France. 2,500 years old! The first vine was planted by the Romans. Their red wine is primarily made from the Mourvedre grape.

The winery was a beautiful stucco building with some of those blue shutters I love.

We then headed over to one of Domaines Ott's wineries also in the Bandol region called Chateau Romassan at the foot of the hill top village of Le Castellet. The country house on the property dates to the 18th century. Don't you love the texture of the stone and that blue?!

The grounds of this old chateau were so rich with the patina and memories of time.

Chateau Romassan's chapel

Caveau (wine cave)

Bandol countryside

Le Castellet

Tomorrow my post will take you to Le Castellet and the charming seaside town of Bandol where we dined on moules frites and sipped foo foo drinks.

Wordless Wednesday - Happy Pills

2011-10-26T11:08:00.000-07:00

Reminders of Spring in Mixed Media Bracelet

2011-10-24T10:17:00.000-07:00

When artist lampwork beads catch my eye and I've got some cash I buy them. I don't always have an idea of what I'll be doing with them, but I enjoy picking them up and admiring their beauty just as they are.

That was the case with Kelley's Beads. Awhile ago she started making these organic egg beads whose shapes were just so comforting. In the beginning you could only get them by getting on a list. Then she'd contact you when your name reached the top and she'd ask you what colors you wanted. I wanted her to have her freedom to create whatever she wanted. I knew I didn't want them to be too crazy, wanting her to stick with what might occur in nature, but even then I was concerned about stifling her voice. Ha! No worries there...

I've had mine for awhile now and have been letting their shape and colors percolate in my ole brain. I finally decided to use one after seeing how well one went with some Magnesite drops I'd purchased. Aren't those colors wonderful?

I call it my Provencal Dream bracelet as the colors remind me of Provence.

Provence is a country to which I am always returning, next week, next year, any day now, as soon as I can get on a train. ~ Elizabeth David

Wordless Wednesday - Business slow?

2011-10-19T04:00:00.000-07:00

October ABS Challenge - a Forest Nap

2011-10-17T08:38:00.000-07:00

9¼ x 15 in. 23.5 x 38 cm. bodycolor on vellum

A Hedgehog in a Landscape, 1643-51

by Giovanna Garzoni

I thought this month's inspiration painting was just cuddly: warm soft colors and the cutest little hedgehog! I always love nature inspiration so I knew this would be fun.

I actually made two pieces this time. First up are a pair of earrings made from lampwork beads I bought from Lisa Niven Kelly ages ago. They're a great shade of beige with fine silver dots. The rice pearls are a rich chocolate shade.

Acorn Lights

The main challenge piece is my Forest Nap necklace made using the cutest little detailed owl bead from Tree Wings Studio.

For the pendant I took two brass stampings of oak leaves and acorns and wired them back to back. I added some gilder paste to give them a little more patina... then wired the cute napping owl to the top. I love this little guy!

A forest bird never wants a cage. ~Henrik Ibsen

Lump-teen-dozen and a-doo-dah day..

2011-10-15T15:36:00.000-07:00

Thanks for hanging in there while I've been a little slow in getting out posts. The next few weeks might be a bit light due to a lot of personal stuff going on right now that's taking priority. All good - but just stressful in some cases and time consuming in others or both!

I thought I'd go back and catch us up on a set of posts I was doing on our Fall 2010 20th anniversary cruise from Istanbul to Barcelona. I last posted in June for our port stop on the coastal area of Italy and the Tyrrhenian Sea. We've only got a couple more stops before Barcelona.

Next up was Livorno which is the port where folks disembark for Florence and Pisa and other Tuscan towns. I'm afraid my report is not going to be as exciting as the pictures in your mind right about now, but it's just the way it goes. I hope you at least learn a few fun facts though!

Livorno Boardwalk

By the time we hit Livorno, known in English as Leghorn*, my husband was several days into a cold with little rest and I was doing my best to fight off getting it. We decided to take a breather from tours since we'd both been to the area a few times before due to my husband's family being from the area. It was a great decision, because he felt better after the restful day and I managed to stay healthy.

We did get off the ship and wandered through this historic town which was described as an "ideal town" during the Italian Renaissance. Since it was Sunday and the shops were closed we only found a few spots to enter and otherwise just walked through the quiet streets.

a beautiful mosaic fountain in the square

*The leghorn variety of chicken was named after the city. This in turn gave its name to the cartoon character Foghorn Leghorn. The city also lent its name to a kind of fine plaited straw produced there and, by extension, to the leghorn hats made from the material.

Tuaca, one of my favorite liqueurs (tastes like butterscotch,) is made in Livorno, as is Galliano. Do you know what a Friggitoria is? Neither did I, but I wish we had them here!

Friggitoria is a shop that sells fried food!

Pedestrian only street normally filled with shoppers

Before heading back to the ship we found a bakery with fresh panettone! Besides mincemeat pie, this is my husband's favorite baked good during the holidays. It's so much better than the fruitcakes in our country that come from English recipes. It's not so dense, none of that yucky candied fruit (just raisins) and the cake is not too sweet. More like Hawaiian sweet bread. One year we found a boxed chocolate one that was awesome! I believe this is the first time he'd ever had it freshly baked.

One more stop in southern France before we disembark in Barcelona!

Wordless Wednesday - Street Freak

2011-10-12T04:00:00.000-07:00

Halloween Treats for your Ears

2011-10-07T14:59:00.000-07:00

I've gotten a little creepy lately. I think I've mentioned before that I'm attracted to things that go bump in the night.

On a Raven's Wing earrings

I miss watching scary movies. My husband will NOT watch them with me, and although I love them, both Halloween screamers and psychological thrillers, I can't watch them alone. I do have a girlfriend who will go with me when our schedules match up so I think I'll have to make a date to catch Dream House or better yet Tucker and Dave vs. Evil.

Have you seen either of them? What did you think?

Until then I'll have to keep searching my pretty baubles for some interesting creepiness.

Spider Elegance

The Worms Crawl In

And for your listening pleasure... a nursery rhyme for generations... (Odd that...)

Wordless Wednesday - Studying for Obedience Final

2011-10-05T04:00:00.000-07:00

Someone Thinks I have "One Lovely Blog"

2011-10-03T04:00:00.000-07:00

I'd like to thank the academy, my kind and thoughtful followers, and Amberr Meadows for nominating my blog!

What a surprise and lovely thing to do! I now must fulfill my duties and follow the rules:

Thank the blogger who awarded you and link back to them. Check. Seriously, thank you Amberr, I appreciate the shout-out and am honored. I'd put you on my newly discovered blogs, because I've just discovered yours a few weeks ago and enjoy the fresh honest words.
Share 7 interesting facts about yourself. I hope I can come up with 7!
Pass the award on to 15 newly discovered blogs. I'm taking creative license on this one, because I follow a lot of great blogs and some have been around awhile. I'm just going to pick 15 this time that consistently keep me interested.

Interesting facts about me:

I seem to have facial features that resemble half the world's population.. or something like that. It doesn't matter where I am in the world nor what age, as this has been happening to me since I was a teenager, men and women will stop me and insist they know me. This has happened twice to me in the last month! One was a guy from Montana who currently lives in Idaho with not a thing in common with me in terms of interests or locale ever in our lives. The other was a woman from Washington, but after some talking - nothing that would've put us in touch with each other. Most of the time it's funny and my husband has gotten used to it. However one time it was quite depressing. In a grocery check out line a woman turned around and insisted we knew each other. We'd just moved to Vancouver so unless she'd been in California... well, she was darn sure and then told me exactly where it had been: we had kids the same age in high school I laughed and said no, I don't have any kids, let alone one in high school. On the drive home I felt my heart drop as I realized I WAS old enough to have a child in high school! Not being reminded how old one was getting WAS a benefit of not having children.
I'm not particularly fond of dancing in public. As a teenager I wasn't allowed to go to dances and by the time I was old enough to go to clubs I was terrified. Remember how Elaine danced on Seinfeld? I'm sure that's how I look. There were a couple of dance clubs next to each other in the San Jose area where my friends liked to go. I'd stand holding my friends' wraps and purses and avoid eye contact while sipping my drink that was supposed to relax me. The only time I remember feeling happy about dancing in public was the first time I danced with my husband (boyfriend at the time.) I was so deliriously in love that I only had eyes for him and he didn't seem to care how I danced.
I loved the Bee Gees in the late 70's. There, I said it. I actually fell in love with their harmonizing before they did Saturday Night Fever and the disco stuff, but I loved it, too. I still like singing along. (Sorry honey.)
Chain Facebook status updates really annoy me. You know, the ones that say "I know only my cool friends will re-post this in their status..." or otherwise imply that if you don't post you don't care about people with cancer. It's the modern day chain letter, but 10 times worse, because you don't open this in the privacy of your home and toss it. The only time I participated in a chain email was for recipes where you send out to 5 people and somehow you're supposed to get back 60 (honey, would you do the math?) because it seemed innocuous and I love family recipes. I received zero recipes in the mail.
are these interesting? I'm trying to think of things I haven't already spilled the beans on...
I've inherited some hermit tendencies, but I love my friends and family too much to go underground for too long. You go under too long and you forget how to have a verbal conversation. Besides, it's a lot more fun to cook and share meals with friends then for just two. I do love my alone time though. Fortunately my husband likes his alone time, too... maybe even more than me!
In High School I participated as a Representative and later as a Senator at our State's Model General Assembly.. and ended up going to the National conference in North Carolina as one of my state's representatives the summer of 1976. My "bill" was to ban fluorocarbons since they deplete the ozone layer. Ahead of my time I guess! (oops... this seems kind of sad like a 40 something former HS star quarterback still talking about the big game. sorry.)
Finally.. 7... My dreams about what I wanted to be when I grew up never included being an artist. My dreams went from stewardess to research scientist to anthropologist. Real life took me from fast food to banking to accounting to programming to human resources.

Here are 15 blogs I think you should check out:

Kim - Picking Poppies
Kerri - A Little Piece of Me
Brandy - Brandy-son Zen master flash
What Possessed Me
Hanna - bouffe e bambini
Lauren - Fizgiggery
That is Priceless
Ann - Harvest Moon by Hand
Brene - Ordinary Courage
la bella vita
Lori - Pretty Things
Stephanie - Semiprecious Salvage
Erin - Treasures Found
Christine - One Kiss Creations
Jennifer - The Art of Being Jennifer Black Reinhardt

If you've clicked with me on the variety I like to read and browse, you can check out more blogs at the bottom right of this page. There never seems to be enough time to check up on everyone, but one tries.

At these award shows, I love to see what people are going to wear. ~ Mary Hart

The 1 day Creating Handmade with Handmade SALE has arrived!

2011-10-02T04:00:00.000-07:00

This is the first Love My Art Jewelry Cyber Sale! A talented group of bead and jewelry artists have coordinated a one day sale AND a great giveaway package for one lucky shopper!!

Coupons are required at each shop, but they will all start with LMAJ... Mine is LMAJ20 (for 20% off) and is only valid in my ArtFire shop. Which is lucky for you as that's where you'll see the largest selection of my work!

This is the perfect time to find handmade one of a kind and unique artisan jewelry for yourself, wife, girlfriend, daughter, niece, Aunt...

Check out my Honey from the Bee ArtFire shop first and then Click on the graphic above, enter to win the giveaway package and Explore some more shops!

Channeling my Aunt in a Drawing and Watercolor Workshop

2011-10-01T10:39:00.000-07:00

It's been three years since I lost my Aunt Nancy to cancer. Three years. I was thinking it was two at the most, as it can still be difficult to talk about at times. She and I had a special connection that began when I was little as I was her only niece. Our relationship grew through the years as we both enjoyed arts and crafts, but more importantly she was a huge support for me through difficult times in my life. She never judged me. She always admired and cherished me even at times when I felt I didn't deserve her direct look of love. She also was one to take the steep and curvy San Francisco streets instead of the straight main drag.

When she was in a nursing home where we were all hopeful she was going to recover, I visited her a number of times. I tried to think of what I would like to have with me if I had to be away from my family and my stuff. We talked about things she wanted to do when she got out. She had done acrylic and oil paintings before her boys were born and was very talented. She wanted to get back to that. I took her a sketchbook and a set of colored pencils. We talked about taking a watercolor class together, as it was something I'd always wanted to do, too.

It took me three years before I was ready, but I took that watercolor class this past week with Jane LaFazio. When we introduced ourselves we were to talk about what brought us to the drawing and watercolor workshop. It was simple for me: my love of travel and wanting to do travel journals and what clearly was most important to me as I got choked up in the telling, taking the class for both Nancy and me.

She was with me for sure as I've never drawn anything as recognizable for what it was and worth framing, at least for me, as I did that day.

Thank you Jane for your generosity in teaching, your encouragement and your happy spirit. Thank you Nancy for your continued love, support and laughter in my heart.

The life of the dead is placed in the memory of the living. ~Marcus Tullius Cicero

Wordless Wednesday - Decebalus

2011-09-28T04:00:00.000-07:00

Ancient ruler of Dacia who fought the Romans and won
Carved into rock along the Danube in Romania in 1990's

Fingers Burning to Get to Torch Enameling Class

2011-09-27T04:00:00.000-07:00

A few years ago I took a fun class from Richard Salley at ArtFest up here in Port Townsend. We were primarily making lockets, but he'd started experimenting with torch enameling and brought his whole shebang with him for us to try. btw, if you don't know, Richard is a fabulous teacher. He's generous with his knowledge and very encouraging.

Although I love my locket it was the torch enameling that was tickling my muse. I'd done regular enameling in the kiln, but I loved being in the moment and seeing what the different colors would do under a torch almost immediately. I couldn't cut up pieces of metal and shape them quickly enough!

Finding a piece copper mesh I even torched a little on it and was reminded that metal can melt.

When I saw that Barbara Lewis was going to be teaching her torch enameling technique in Portland this week I leapt at the chance. I wasn't happy with the set up we had in Port Townsend health wise and after reading her book can see her method is going to be more controlled and easier to keep those powders out of the air. I'm not sure her technique will work for flat pieces like it does for beads, but we'll see.

I'll leave you with the one torch enameled piece from my experiments a few years ago that made it into a piece of jewelry. I was thinking I'd create these dog bones and attach them as jewelry to my dog's collar, but instead I created a Victorian style mourning necklace inspired by the first two dogs that were in my husband and my home and hearts.

For the Love of a Dog

Stay tuned this winter as I play with what I learn from Barbara. There may be a delay in reporting if I do burn my fingers, but I hear they heal.

Creating Handmade with Handmade SALE - many shops!

2011-09-26T08:55:00.000-07:00

This coming Sunday, October 2nd, there will be a huge cyber sale being hosted by Love My Art Jewelry. For one day only: 31 (and counting!) online shops that create unique handmade jewelry and handmade beads and components that go into artisan jewelry will be putting their collections on sale.

Coupons will be required at each shop, but they will all start with LMAJ... Mine will be LMAJ20 (for 20% off) and will only be valid in my ArtFire shop.

This is the perfect time to find handmade one of a kind and unique artisan jewelry for yourself, wife, girlfriend, daughter, niece, Aunt...

I think you'll also enjoy getting to know the work of some artists you may not be familiar with. Click on the graphic above and Explore!

More Colorful Earrings featuring Lampwork

2011-09-25T11:37:00.000-07:00

In continuation of yesterday's post... Here are some more lampwork artisan beads front and center in a colorful display of earrings in my shop.

Bubbly Sea
U.S. made lampwork

Purple Skies or Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
Lampwork by Donna Millard

Berry Ripe
Lampwork by Mother Beads

Color Wheel
Cane glass by David Christensen

and lastly, anyone wanting to get a jump on some fun holiday earrings?

Holly Hoop
Lampwork by Mother Beads

Artisan Lampwork Focus of Earrings

2011-09-24T17:00:00.000-07:00

I love to see all the different styles of lampwork that are created by artists around the world. I'm most familiar with U.S. lampworkers through art and trade shows and like to support them when I can.

It's always a challenge to create jewelry with their work since it's so beautiful on its own. I want to highlight their bead since it can be the most expensive part of a pair of earrings or other piece of jewelry.

I was playing around with my collection of beads and found a simple, lightweight solution that highlights the lampwork in a fun playful way. Here are four newly listed ones and five more will be in tomorrow's post. I hope you love them as much as I do.

Giraffe Joy
Lampwork by Vicki Lee

Wandering Mind
U.S. made lampwork

Desert Symbols
U.S. made lampwork

On a Raven's Wing
Lampwork by Donna Millard

Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. ~Leonardo DaVinci

Wordless Wednesday - hungry?

2011-09-21T04:00:00.000-07:00

Dream a Little Dream with Me

2011-09-19T16:35:00.000-07:00

"Dreams are illustrations... from the book your soul is writing about you." Marsha Norman, American Playright

vintage buttons

This month's challenge image from the Art Bead Scene blog was not the easiest for me to be inspired by with its image of a Gee Bend Quilt.

"Housetop"--twelve-block "Half-Logcabin" variation, ca. 1965

Cotton, Wool Corduroy, 77"x 65"

Lillie Mae Pettway, 1927-1990

It's not that I don't like quilts or find this one fun with its bold colors and Picasso like piecing, but how to interpret for a piece of jewelry? I first thought I would just do a seed bead project with color blocking, but I couldn't get excited about it so I just let it sit and fester, urrrrr, percolate or soak in for awhile.

I pulled some beads out, as I mentioned in an earlier post, but laying them out and moving them about did not get me too excited. I decided to do some research on Gee Bend Quilts.

As you may know, Gee Bend, Alabama is the location of a town founded after the Civil War by former black slaves. They were nearly isolated during the depression and for many years after. The women developed a distinct quilting style that combined American and African roots. Although they're getting very famous now after Oprah introduced them nationally, they were fairly well known prior via those who loved folk and quilting arts. Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. visited their small town the evening prior to the Selma march in 1965. You can find more of their history as well as a place to bookmark for future sales of their quilts on The Quilts of Gee Bend website.

Dream pendant - Lisa Peters Art
Blue Glow Bead - Adorned in Treasure

Fireworks went off and I was designing this necklace full of aged bright colors like those in the quilt pictured above. Recycled items seemed appropriate so I used part of a vintage buckle and an old ID tag I stamped with "Do U" to create the pendant. The ceramic Dream pendant from Lisa Peters Art seems to float in the breeze like a quilt under clear blue skies. When I saw the dream pendant in my stash I knew that even if other bits didn't make it into the final piece - it HAD to. It tied together Gee Bend, Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the idea that dreams can come true.

The necklace is composed of a handful of Fordite barrel beads which I bought several years ago for their variety of colors. They've never seemed to work in a piece before, but they belong here. Fordite is a man made "stone" created from layers and layers of paint that built up over time in the chambers where they used to paint cars in an assembly fashion. They no longer paint cars in this way so the beads can be pricey, but oh so gorgeous!

The red fossilized coral agate beads seem to have a calico fabric pattern on them and their square shape is reminiscent of quilt blocks.

Buttons and hand knotted linen thread brought in a bit of sewing magic to complete my September ABS Challenge piece! Now I guess I have to get back to cleaning up my studio.

A Teaser of My Challenge Piece to Come

2011-09-17T08:56:00.000-07:00

I think I told you that I'd made myself a promise that I wouldn't sit and create anything until all surfaces in my studio were clean. Well, I did clean up a lot, seriously a lot! I sent out 2 bins of magazines for recycling after tearing out stuff to keep and getting about 2/3 of that into my Spark binder. However, with the month already half over I just had to do my September Art Bead Scene challenge piece. Don't you think?

Earlier in the month I laid the challenge photo in my usual corner of clean space so that I could pass by and keep it in my head for inspiration. At first the image was giving me nothing, but then an idea popped in my head... and little by little the bead pile grew.

I hope to have my finished piece ready for reveal for you tomorrow. In my head I'm promising myself that I then have to get back to cleaning up and organizing. There is that other challenge I want to do though...

Wordless Wednesday - Salt Creek

2011-09-14T04:00:00.000-07:00

I Heart Macro - tide-pooling

2011-09-11T04:00:00.000-07:00

The Last Dam Week!

2011-09-10T04:00:00.001-07:00

The waiting for all the infrastructure work to be completed is over! Next weekend the Elwha tribe, many citizens of the Olympic Peninsula and environmentalists around the world will be celebrating the return of a wild Elwha River as two dams are removed. It is the largest dam removal project in U.S. history!

To have some parts flowing free again...with deer grazing on its banks...
ducks and geese raising their young in the backwaters...
eddies and twists and turns for canoeists...
and fishing opportunities such as Lewis and Clark enjoyed...
would be the finest possible tribute to the men of the Expedition, and a priceless gift for our children.
Historian Stephen Ambrose, Undaunted Courage

This year was given the gloriously ominous title of "The Last Dam Summer" and I blogged about what that meant to the Elwha Klallam Tribe. Their joy is shared by those of us that want to see a victory for nature. It will be late in my life that even the possibility of seeing the legendary runs of anadromous fish like five species of salmon will occur, but isn't that wonderful? We're doing something to benefit future generations!

Before my husband and I moved to the area we were intrigued and excited about the work throughout the west to remove dams that were either not built with fish ladders, like the Elwha, or otherwise were not providing an economically necessary function if you looked at the overall damage to the native fish runs in the west coast rivers. Entire ecosystems are and were on the brink of collapse due to the interconnection of a healthy river and a healthy forest, etc.

"When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe." ~John Muir

A fascinating article by Bruce Barcott,  a 2009 Guggenheim Fellow in nonfiction, appeared in the August issue of Seattle Metropolitan titled "The Elwha's Last Dam Summer." It covers the interesting history of how this radical idea of removing dams built illegally without fish ladders was started by a 24 year old Earth First! activist nearly 24 years ago when he painted a crack on the side of the Glines Dam.

"Never doubt that a handful of committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." ~Margaret Mead

If you are interested in activities surrounding this celebration, removal activities, or webcam footage you can go to the Elwha River Restoration Facebook page and also check out the Celebrate Elwha website with the Olympic National Park.

Make your Tribe Work for You

2011-09-08T10:56:00.000-07:00

Recently a new site that helps you network among like-minded bloggers has come to my attention. Benefits vary from finding new blogs to follow to linking up with more like-minded tweeps and probably the most important part is a way to get more folks that would be interested in your blog reading your blog.

I think the key with using Triberr effectively is to only ask to join tribes that fit you and to make sure any tribe you start has members that meet your criteria or focus. To do otherwise defeats the purpose and weakens not only the tribe, but your trustworthiness as well. Another warning is connected to the fact that you will be tweeting other tribe member posts. Think about whether your Twitter followers that you want to keep are interested in what you'll be tweeting. Triberr does give you some time to delete a scheduled tweet, but if you're not watching it hourly - they'll be sent.

Nicole is a fellow tribe member and has created a Comprehensive Guide to Using Triberr Wisely that gives you a lot more information that you may find useful now and later if you do decide to join.

You can become a member of more than one tribe, but you must be invited to join Triberr.

I have started a tribe called Creative Nature Lovers. We blog about how nature feeds our soul and our work. Anyone is welcome to apply, but much of the applicant's focus should be on nature as their muse. Artists, gardeners, photographers, crafters, environmentalists... all welcome.

If you would like to be invited into my tribe, please leave your twitter account name in the comment section and your blog link. I will check out your blog for fit and send you an invite via Twitter if you'll be a good tribe addition.

Book Review: Jewelry lab

2011-09-08T04:00:00.000-07:00

I just received my latest jewelry technique book and it's titled "Jewelry lab" by Melissa Manley.

It touts "52 Experiments, Investigations, and Explorations in Metal."

Every two pages you get a new technique to try and yes, believe it or not there's enough information and great close-up photos to give them a try.

As Melissa puts it: "...my favorite students are total beginners, those to whom metal has called." She says once you've completed all 52 labs in the book you will have finished a beginner's course in metals and jewelry.

Beginners are not going to have all the tools nor want to purchase them if they're not sure they're going to be doing the technique again. However, if you have a friend who does have the tools and is willing to let you borrow them for a bit, I think you'll have great fun trying these processes.

Although I've done most of these labs in a class environment I appreciate having a reminder of what I'm capable of doing! I was surprised to find that even a technique I'd learned at Artfest this past Spring was featured. I too had created jewelry components rather than a sculpture from hog casings, but the response I got from my family and friends convinced me no one would want to wear them. Maybe I was wrong!?

There are two other Lab series books by Quarry that interest me and will likely challenge me. I'm going to order and give them a try. I'll report back on my findings!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-07T04:00:00.000-07:00